Pre-Sales Phase

I have now been in phase 2 for almost a month.  This is the phase where I try to get people to purchase the book through pre-order.  This is a difficult task as people have to pay for something they don’t get right away; something I don’t like to do, let alone people in today’s instant gratification society.  I would normally agree with them and not bother with pre-orders, but, as I mentioned in my last entry, all sales in pre-orders go toward one day, and are more likely to put you in the bestseller list.

This isn’t so much of a prestige issue as it is a practical one.  Books on top 10 lists typically get far more sales.  Plus, when mixed with the fact that a lot of people are talking about the subject when it releases, others who then see it in the top 10 list feel like they have a history with it, and are more likely to buy.

So the way I go about achieving this goal is by appearing on as many media outlets as I can.  I made a huge list of radio, television, and newspaper locations, focusing primarily in Nebraska, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Austin.  (I’ll probably add Florida to that, now that I think about it.)  I’m sending out a general press release, then emailing them afterward so they hear about it through the release, then are reminded through the email.

This book in particular plays well to this specific type of promotion, as it’s a very newsworthy story.  A long-lost Capone hardly anyone knew about has finally been discovered, and he was one of the most successful lawmen in the country.  Headlines mean the most in this step.  I want to attract the producers and editors first so they’ll have me on their show.  Then the public will hear me.

I’m following this up with sending bits of information to bloggers and podcasters to get them to pick up something about the story.  During the first part of this phase, it’s less important for people to see where my book is available to buy, and more important for them to learn that the story exists.  If everything goes as planned, they’ll have heard about the real person so much that by the time they see the pre-order, they’re already sold on purchasing it.

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